Are you growing food?

[Anchor]

Quick poll.

This is a poll about growing food to consume. Consumption is by either you and/or your immediate family.

In this poll, please select the closest.

Poll is anonymous so far as the forum is concerned, I cannot vouch for the what the TLA spies are doing with the information. You don't have to post any follow up, but please do so if you have anything interesting to share.

I had the idea for this while digging out another part of my veggie-patch :)

For me its I grow some, but I have plans to get to nearly all

[Rosco1]

I do hope to grow all of my food next year.

Also hope to build a couple of large polytunnels so that the harmfull substances from chemtrails don't affect my food.
We have well water here so that helps too!

Great idea this thread!

[Bo Atkinson]

Well, i'm trying to grow near half, at least this summer. To be honest and thereby eat less actually. Bad habits from past deceptions are so hard to boot. Also it is an exercise at many levels. It helps as back up, to test the potentials, in worst case scenarios. It projects future probability for building that new paradigm... Are we just sublimating folks?
http://harmoniouspalette.com/WildlingEvolvement.jpg
Fresh photo from yesterday. At least i built my first productive nitrogen-fixer-reactor, this year, finally. For speeding up compost. Nitrogen is key, where animal raising is a tough feat-- Where society should suddenly collapse -- If commercial networks stop deliveries for so many reasons. After years of improving this effort.... Too long a story but improving my commitments, to stop at nothing.

w

PS- Humans need to manufacture a half decent translucent dome material. Earth climates are not salubrious as climates could be-- Humans have lost those full benefits of the big blue dome of the sky. So that we almost need our attic dome, to provide protective growing at home. .... Humans should work towards good ecology instead of scorch and burn madness of the archons.
Until then, build a green attic ^__^


PS2- I'm not clicking on multi-choice, fixated surveys.

[Sunlite]

What about "if I had the land I would grow my own food?"


Have a great weekend..

Sunlite

[Tenzin]

I asked a few gardening forums about how to grow temperate crops in the tropics, seeking input for innovative ways to do so, such as how I saw air-conditioned commercial nurseries have done it here. I got mostly advice to quit doing that and focus all effort on crops that are suitable for my climate.

May free energy be made available to us all soon, so we can have lettuce in the desert too. :D

[mountain_jim]

10-20%, but well stocked on rice, beans, and dried fruits and vegis from past years.

Just in from picking 1/2 gallon of blueberries. The blue-jays have left in recent days and my stress from their continuous raids has gone.

Previous season raspberry canes about done, we made 24 jars of preserves from these. New canes will fruit in a few weeks.

Our asparagus is now ferned, we harvested the end of spinach season, just planted the green beans, one bed enough for all year, other fancy greens growing and first tomatoes ripening. (mountain valley makes everything later here).

Trying peppers this year but our fewer sun hours from tight valley limits them and makes corn a no-go.

Have pears on trees, and some grapes on vines, but plums and peaches and many grapes were all taken out by late freeze this year. Fuyu persimmons in fall make great dried fruit, and chutney.

Now I have to hope (and pray) for sufficient (irregular) income to keep making (large) payments, as don't own this spread yet, and particularly value the pure gravity-fed mountain spring water which provides all our water needs, with power or without.

Good luck and best wishes to all gardeners and (non-monsanto-abused) food-growers :)

[Mike]

i only have a small patch of land, unfortunately. i'm sorta limited.

currently growing:

-tomatoes
-garlic
-hot red peppers
-cucumbers
*will add more as i get more ambitious

when i lived in California my back yard looked like a tropical rain forest. it was wonderful. there were lemons, limes, an orange tree, persimmons (had never even heard of persimmons until i left the east coast), mangos and strawberries. and a whole bunch of other stuff i can't think of at the moment. there wasn't quite enough to subsist on solely, but certainly enough to ease my financial burden.

[PurpleLama]

I voted in the 10% category, but I hope it will be over 50% by fall, and close to 90% by next year. See ulli's thread for updates shortly....

[Ivanhoe]

We had a garden for the past few years but stopped because we are in a drought where we live. Last garden we had just shriveled up and died. We are sooo limited on water here, and when it rains it's usually less than 1/2" while 10 miles north or south of us has a deluge. It's really frustrating to have rain forcasted for our area then watch it go around us.

[Maria Stade]

Yes I grow a lot of food and also meat, and some of the food for the animals.
Butter and oil and milled grains I buy.
I growe some where I live witch is not my land but I get to use it.
I also grow my own seeds to netxt year. So last year I saved some carrots to give me seeds to next year and It have worked fine. They are soon flowering my carrots.

And I grow with a groop on a nother place ( learn them how to grow ) and I have been exiting.
I also graft and take cuttings and so on.

My ( and Jorrs) dream was to make a food forest

Here is what i grow for now.

Walnut hazelnut, peach,plum,apple garnate apple, (kiwi but they didnt get in the soil) we grafted a lots off different apple trees. winegrapes.

Strawberrys blueberrys roses, melon

Aspargus, corn differet sorts. cale different sorts, beans, peas, garlic, uniun, menth, oregano,thyme, carrots, potatoes cucumber, abuergine, squash, chilli, paprika,tomatoes, basil, tagetes (flower) and more lol its a lot.

I wanted to grow weete but maybe next year or in the future and mill my own seeds.

I have rabbits an chickens and hope to some day have own grown fish to.

I grow organic/biodynamic and use the nature in many ways.

All is well

Maria

[Maria Stade]

We had a garden for the past few years but stopped because we are in a drought where we live. Last garden we had just shriveled up and died. We are sooo limited on water here, and when it rains it's usually less than 1/2" while 10 miles north or south of us has a deluge. It's really frustrating to have rain forcasted for our area then watch it go around us.

Hi, yea that is a big problem. You should in such an area consider to make systems that re- use the water.
And real rain collection system also important to find ways so the water dont just evaporate in to the air.

Water is so presius to all living things.

Kind regards Maria

[PurpleLama]

Living in south Mississippi, the first order of business when constructing the beds was to do so with efficient irrigation in mind. I was fortunate that the previous owners of the house grew exotic plants for local nurseries, so they had done a lot of the work before me so that the yard has the right drainage, etc. I run the hose for about twenty minutes and it fills in the troughs between the rows and is held by little mounds I've put in several in the midst of the troughs. So far, so good! I only do the watering when the sun hasn't risen, or has gone down, so I'm not losing so much moisture to evaporation.

[Mozart]

Good poll here!


I'm growing food, too, and am just about to hit the 25% mark of supplying food for our little, three-person household here in California.


I love to fish, so I've been going out fishing and catching crazy amounts of bluegill and crappie -- big ones! -- to stock my little, portable fish tank that consists of a pond liner that's sitting on the ground with the ground dug out a slight bit and lined with hay bales with the pond liner going up and over the hay bales.


The hay bales are three bales long, then two bales wide with the flat sides of the hay bales standing up on the sides. So the deepest spot in the shaded fish tank is 28 inches; the shallowest is 22 inches.


Right now I have about 100+ bluegill and crappie in the tank. When we want fish for dinner, I go out and get my bamboo pole that has line on it, then flip the little foam spider with rubbery legs on it onto the water and those hungry fish go right at it.


I capture bugs from all over the garden and dump them into the pond, so the fish love those bugs, plus I put worms into the tank, too. I put fish guts into a bucket and store it far away from us, yet out of reach of animals, so every few days, I'd go out there and and snag a bunch of maggots for the fish. I also feed them organic animal food pellets.


I also have bug zappers for both day and night, so those fish have a lot of food coming their way each day.


I get the fish at a local lake that's a catch-and-release lake for bass, but there are tons and tons of large bluegill and crappie that people don't even bother to fish for, other than the occasional kid on the docks.


So we have enough fish to serve about a pound a day for a solid month, if needed.


~Mozart

[Anchor]

Interesting that no one is growing ALL the food they eat (34 voted so far).

The reason I posted this is because I think soon it will be a good idea if you can make most of your own food and barter for the rest; I was interested in how many are already doing that.

[crosby]

hi Anchor, great thread. my boyfriend and i are getting ready to do the window farming. where we live right now, there is no where to plant a garden, so we are going to try to grow what we can in window farms. we are also looking at growing with the right lights in our basement. i am really excited about this and we should be up and running within several weeks. thanks for the thread, i will come back after we do our set up and let you know how our plants are doing, and if they do anything at all.
warmest regards, corson

¤=[Post Update]=¤


What about "if I had the land I would grow my own food?"


Have a great weekend..

Sunlite

look on youtube for window farming techniques. this is what i am getting ready to do. it works well for those of us who do not have gardening areas.
warmest regards, corson

[Arrowwind]

Im into the third year on our garden. Each time it gets larger. But I would say that we still only grow about 10 to 20 percent. So much to learn with food storage and preservation. Next year we will start to add animals. likely two steers, maybe rabbits or chickens if we can get the barn built.

this year the raspberry patch went in and we doubled the size of the corn and vegetable plots. Added irrigation systems. Started almost everything from seed, which is a feat in my zone 3 to 4 climate. Most gardeners around here purchase plants and pop them in. My asparagus from last year failed to return so I started another variety this year. Also working in increasing perinneal herbs.

There are two berry plants Im considering for next year that are prolific and easy to multiply. Look into Honeyberries - zone 3 and Gogi Berries, zone 4. Lots of info on the net on how to do the Gogi. They are one of the most powerful berries out there for health.

There is only one zone 3 nut tree that I could find and I purchased two this year,,,, Butternut. but one died so will have to get another next year. We have 7 fruit trees in... but if the shtf soon we would be having a hard time ... we just are not ready. When you start growing food and storing it and dealing with it all the time you start to realize what a huge project it is.

It is a process that takes quite a bit of time and if you think you can just run out and build a sustainable garden in one season you better think again. And for those looking at doing urban gardening or wall gardening to survive in their homes for survival I think you are fooling yourselves. Urban gardening is possible but you can't be sustainable in just pots.. you have to have at least 1/4 acre of land and be very dilligent using every square inch efficiently. I fyou dont have this look into developing a community garden within walking distance to your home. More and more community gardens are sprouting up. I think its the only way you could possibly produce enough food. You can grow quite a bit in a basement with lighting systems but do you really want to invest in being reliant on the energy grid?

[Maria Stade]

Interesting that no one is growing ALL the food they eat (34 voted so far).

.

A LOT of knowlege is needed to grow ALL your food. Most people dont have that.
And land is needed and ALL dont have that.

Just how many people have ever milked a cow ? done butter, and so on.

Most have no clue how to grow plants and what to do when pests comes.

How to make the soil full of microbic life so the plants get nutritius.

And if you eat meat how to handel the killing and the rest before the meat is ready to be on the plate.
And how to take care of the animal and give it the right food and grow that food to.

How to collect water to the plants and maybe to the animals and self to.

Very few even know what to eat in the wild if there is no food.

Yea window farming is a very good start if you only have a apartment.

[Arrowwind]

Living in south Mississippi, the first order of business when constructing the beds was to do so with efficient irrigation in mind. I was fortunate that the previous owners of the house grew exotic plants for local nurseries, so they had done a lot of the work before me so that the yard has the right drainage, etc. I run the hose for about twenty minutes and it fills in the troughs between the rows and is held by little mounds I've put in several in the midst of the troughs. So far, so good! I only do the watering when the sun hasn't risen, or has gone down, so I'm not losing so much moisture to evaporation.

Home depot sells some nice irrigation lines... we purchased two hundred feet of this brown hose that has drip holes every 18 inches, perfect spacing for large plants. Its now irrigating the cabbage, broccoli and lettuces. Lay your line first then plant where the drip holes are.. LOL! I planted first then got the line... not to efficient. Next year will be better... and this line lasts a long time. My neighbor has had it in his raspberry patch for several years and its holding up. He just leaves it lie there all winter... Its very water efficint and you arnt watering all the earth where weeds would be sprouting up, and loosing nutrients to down drainage in those areas.

[Maria Stade]

Nothing is sustainable untill you can get your own seeds and some plants give seeds the second year and that takes space to.
How to collect the seeds and keep them or how to plant diffrent plants so that they protect echother.

You dont learn all in one year and all plants and animals ar different and have different needs.

Like Arrow wind writes just how to preserve the food is quite a big thing to learn. If you grow for the food to last to next year you cant freze it all. And what if the power goes then you have no food if it all is in the freezer.

[Anchor]

My dehydrator is on its way. We do canning and bottling to preserve stuff. For me I will get another freezer, but we are off grid, and I already put another lot of panels up ready for the new freezer - but its best not to rely on it, as all things can break or malfunction.

[benevolentcrow]

Hello all of you food growers. Nothing taste better than fresh food from your own garden. We have only been in our new home for 10 months now and have started to build our garden up.

We have one acre and have built a deer, rabbit proof garden area. 9 3'x5' raised garden beds that are 1' deep.

Have tomatoes which I started from seed in March in the ground so far. Next is potatoes, garlic, onion, shallots, spinach and so on as the bed get filled with dirt. Composting as much as possible for fertilizer.

Living in the Pacific Northwest we have a mild climate. Tomatoes have to be babied to get them to grow, chose ultra early girls or Siberian variety are good choices. Greens like kale, collards, spinach do well here in the cooler climate.

We also have 5 apple trees and 3 pear and a golden plum tree and hope to preserve some come fall.

In the process of building a chicken coop as we have 14 four week old Fancy Bantam chicks for egg laying.

Working on it and it is work! Enjoying every minute of it.

Good luck with all of your efforts to produce good food for you and your families!

[CeltMan]

Great thread Anchor!

Ok, here is my experience.

1) I would love to be able to grow a lot more, but am limited by space.

I planted 7 fruit trees around the perimeter about 25 years ago after the main building work was completed.

They are: Plumbs (2), cherry(2), apples(2)
This year here in UK has been strange weather so the cherries are scarce.
The plumbs-damson has given up, victoria is ok. Black cherries(my favourite),...wait for it--ONE!! (which the birds ate!!!...LOL)

Three years ago, i deceided to clear a patch of garden & build 4 raised beds for growing vegetables.
They are brick surrounds, about 30" tall, approx 1 meter square.
I have semipermeable membrans in base-to allow water through, but stop weeds & tree root growing up.
I also built wooden/hinged frames for tops, & fixed nylon mesh(this is to stop both cats & birds gaining access.)

I have the following sucesses: summer salad; spinach; iceburg lettuce.
Not so much with beetroot.
This year, one is lying covered & dormant...other three: new spinach; iceburg lettuce; beetroot.
I have appplied a pellet fertiliser to soil & added some general compost + my own from the container.

I am determined to master this 'vege growing lark'...so any tips would be appeciated. (bearing in mind that I live in South UK)

[pickle]

Great thread Anchor, thanks!

We're just starting with the home grown grub... a few veg; mainly potatoes, carrots, onion and herbs at home. We acquired an allotment a couple of months ago. The aim is to be as self sufficient as possible, but we've got a lot of learning ahead.... we could be eating caterpillars instead of veggies :p

Home
17189
17193

Where babies are made...
17191

Allotment. Lots of work to do...
17192

Just bee ;)
17187

Good luck to all!

John

[Marianne]

Thanks for all the sharing.


...have built a deer, rabbit proof garden area

BC, deer are my biggest problem and reason I don't garden more. Would you mind sharing how you deer-proofed yours? We have an over-population of white tail deer ... someone introduced them to the mountain because 'they look nice' and they have no natural enemies to keep the population in check (except the occasional vehicle when they get in road).

There's a forum 'Living off the grid' with good information
http://projectavalon.net/forum4/forumdisplay.php?69-Living-Off-The-Grid

Within it is a sub-forum on food and water
http://projectavalon.net/forum4/forumdisplay.php?70-Food-Water

So Avalon has some good information available. Bill Ryan urged us several months ago to begin making our plans, and sharing knowledge with each other.

Love and blessings to all.

[benevolentcrow]

Thanks for all the sharing.


...have built a deer, rabbit proof garden area

BC, deer are my biggest problem and reason I don't garden more. Would you mind sharing how you deer-proofed yours? We have an over-population of white tail deer ... someone introduced them to the mountain because 'they look nice' and they have no natural enemies to keep the population in check (except the occasional vehicle when they get in road).

There's a forum 'Living off the grid' with good information
http://projectavalon.net/forum4/forumdisplay.php?69-Living-Off-The-Grid

Within it is a sub-forum on food and water
http://projectavalon.net/forum4/forumdisplay.php?70-Food-Water

So Avalon has some good information available. Bill Ryan urged us several months ago to begin making our plans, and sharing knowledge with each other.

Love and blessings to all.

Hi Marianne,

I took major steps to deer proof. Our garden is 21'x22' and has 12 4x4 post set in concrete to hold a 6' high fence. I hung wind chimes in the doorway of the gate to discourage any deer getting close as they to not like the sound.

I also put large pieces of cardboard that I picked up at Home Depot down on the ground to kill grass and weeds in between rows then weed fabric a finally cedar chips as bugs and slugs do not like!

Not only do you have to grow your food you have to protect it from varmints, critters, insects and so on. It's a major effort but worth it for the quality and quantity of food you can produce.

[Marianne]

Thanks for all the sharing.


...have built a deer, rabbit proof garden area

BC, deer are my biggest problem and reason I don't garden more. Would you mind sharing how you deer-proofed yours? We have an over-population of white tail deer ... someone introduced them to the mountain because 'they look nice' and they have no natural enemies to keep the population in check (except the occasional vehicle when they get in road).

There's a forum 'Living off the grid' with good information
http://projectavalon.net/forum4/forumdisplay.php?69-Living-Off-The-Grid

Within it is a sub-forum on food and water
http://projectavalon.net/forum4/forumdisplay.php?70-Food-Water

So Avalon has some good information available. Bill Ryan urged us several months ago to begin making our plans, and sharing knowledge with each other.

Love and blessings to all.

Hi Marianne,

I took major steps to deer proof. Our garden is 21'x22' and has 12 4x4 post set in concrete to hold a 6' high fence. I hung wind chimes in the doorway of the gate to discourage any deer getting close as they to not like the sound.

I also put large pieces of cardboard that I picked up at Home Depot down on the ground to kill grass and weeds in between rows then weed fabric a finally cedar chips as bugs and slugs do not like!

Not only do you have to grow your food you have to protect it from varmints, critters, insects and so on. It's a major effort but worth it for the quality and quantity of food you can produce.

Cardboard from big box stores to kill weeds ... a brilliant idea... thanks. I have used 2-3 layers of newspaper with mulch on top, but it takes some time to put down. So you first lay the cardboard on the ground, then place weed fabric on that and cedar chips on top, is that correct? Then you'd remove it, I guess, when you till the garden in the fall. I just left my newspaper/mulch there to be tilled into the soil.

I really hope the 6' fence works, and will be interested to know your experience, BC. I've heard deer can jump up to 8 feet to get over a fence, and that you have to put a second fence up, a certain distance apart, to keep them out. But it seems a 6' fence with other deterrents (like sound, and a red light I hear they don't like) would be better than a garden out in the open for them to wander into.

I'd be interested to know if anyone has had luck with using just the other deterrents like sound and/or red lights, scents they don't like, etc.

Remembering Perelandra Nature Center's solution to bugs, etc. She has a row of plants called 'bug boulevard' ... she connects with the deva of the insect or whatever predator, and asks them to only eat from certain plants. That way everyone's happy. I think I'm going about it all wrong when I feel frustrated ... going to work on that now. Have a heart to heart with the white-tail deer deva.

Love,
JB

[benevolentcrow]

"I guess, when you till the garden in the fall. I just left my newspaper/mulch there to be tilled into the soil. "

I do not till as all of the garden bed are raised, it is just to keep the weeds from growing in between rows.

[Marianne]

"I guess, when you till the garden in the fall. I just left my newspaper/mulch there to be tilled into the soil. "


I do not till as all of the garden bed are raised, it is just to keep the weeds from growing in between rows.

Ah, I see ... sorry, I missed that. :)

Your garden and animal projects sounds great ... I hope to someday have something similar.

Raising chickens appeals to me, my grandmother always had them.

[benevolentcrow]

"I guess, when you till the garden in the fall. I just left my newspaper/mulch there to be tilled into the soil. "


I do not till as all of the garden bed are raised, it is just to keep the weeds from growing in between rows.

Ah, I see ... sorry, I missed that. :)

Your garden and animal projects sounds great ... I hope to someday have something similar.

Raising chickens appeals to me, my grandmother always had them.

Love, love my chickens! They all have names. I will post pictures when we are further along of some of my projects. The raised beds maintain a higher temperature for better food production. Good luck in all of your endeavors. Love and blessing we are going to need it!

[Antagenet]

I like to grow things that other people might not readily identify as food ;-)
red amaranth leaves are delicious in salads
green amaranth leaves also good in salads and tasty to cook like spinach

Salad greens; Sorrel is my very favorite, lemony taste. Arugula, lettuces.

Herbs; Basil, Chives, Dill, Thyme, Aloe Vera, Ginger.

Noni and Papaya trees.

Squash, Asian long beans, Sweet potatoes, Okra.

And of course, spending time in the garden is healing and blissful.

[Maria Stade]

I have lots of deers around here but they have never gone too my plantings but I also have chickens some times loose and othervise in chicken tractors, I think that the chicken and my cats keep the deers away.
I had a groop of 30 animals passing by as I was watching.

[Maia Gabrial]

I have to say that I have a green thumb, but this and last year everything I tried to grow died within a short time. The sun was hardly ever out. And the skies were always filled with chemtrails. I understand that aluminium is not only deadly to us, but for plants as well....

I've thought about emailing NATO again and asking them if they're tired of being morons destroying our planet.... But the last time I did that they increased chemtrails in our area....

[Maria Stade]

Here are the adults that came last year.
It is tre collored Orpington realy nice birds.

http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy77/Vitabuffeln/blorkideorpington014.jpg

[Maria Stade]

Here was last year when we broke the grass turf and the place where I live behinde it.

http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy77/Vitabuffeln/katterochtrdgrd006.jpg

[Maria Stade]

I have to say that I have a green thumb, but this and last year everything I tried to grow died within a short time. The sun was hardly ever out. And the skies were always filled with chemtrails. I understand that aluminium is not only deadly to us, but for plants as well....

I've thought about emailing NATO again and asking them if they're tired of being morons destroying our planet.... But the last time I did that they increased chemtrails in our area....

I had problem last year due to to litte sun so the aubergine did not succede.
Yea they better just leav the planet while they can.

They did spray on sunny days so Jorr called the lokal news.

[Anchor]

The way this thread has gone, is really nice to see.

One tip I found was to constantly "engage" the natural environment. I ask the garden for help. I am grateful for what it does.

It makes the things grow I need, and it is pretty harsh about nailing the things I thought I needed but do not.

Some roo's jumped the rabbit fence, into my veggie and had a play, they also stomped on some of the garden that is unfenced.

I asked them not to do that again. I said if they needed any herbs from the unfenced herb garden they could take whatever they wanted if they were careful not to damage the plants.

Now they dont go in the fenced area, and watching them tip-toe round the herb garden is really funny

[Maria Stade]

It is important to have a agreement with the wild animals the deers get food in the winter but on the other side of the house
I Was lolling when they where eating gras betwen my grafted apple plants.
Rabbits come here at own risk the cats will not let them far.

[Bo Atkinson]

I need a little more than persuasion with the deer. The deer are daring and very attached. Despite the avid hunters in town. (I'm vegan but get along fine with hunters). The most-effective, easy and least objectionable repellent, (adamantly excluding dried rotting flesh) is an old can with the slightest amount of petrol byproducts like used motor oil, with dirty fuel or paint thinner... Plus human hair trimmings, dog combings..... It is a longer lasting rot which needs disposal anyway and is in very small amounts. It stands out just beyond the garden's edge. Keeping it covered from abundant rain here.
http://harmoniouspalette.com/WetSummer2012.jpg

[benevolentcrow]

You can grow food anywhere. This is from Keep it Simple Farms in Redmond WA.
Little veggie garden on top of a chicken coop. Love it!

http://www.kisfarm.com/resources/blog/

[Maria Stade]

You can grow food anywhere. This is from Keep it Simple Farms in Redmond WA.
Little veggie garden on top of a chicken coop. Love it!

http://www.kisfarm.com/resources/blog/

That is a great way to use the space and also gives the chickens shelter.

[Davy]

Been tough garndening this year with hail storms in the spring and temps this week of 105 to 110 in some areas, I have covered the majority of my garden and am Not going to give up, I have been watering in the morning and evening so far everything is hanging on. i have built a green house and around March i start my plants from seed, I have also been saving seed. Have a compost that I use on the garden and Just a couple months ago built a chicken coop. I have 7 chickens and if there is nothing else to eat i know I will have Eggs. every inch of my back yard has evolved into a garden.

It is really funny to me how everything has evolved its like it has all just came back to me. My Garden is where I find God!

[Maria Stade]

Been tough garndening this year with hail storms in the spring and temps this week of 105 to 110 in some areas, I have covered the majority of my garden and am Not going to give up, I have been watering in the morning and evening so far everything is hanging on. i have built a green house and around March i start my plants from seed, I have also been saving seed. Have a compost that I use on the garden and Just a couple months ago built a chicken coop. I have 7 chickens and if there is nothing else to eat i know I will have Eggs. every inch of my back yard has evolved into a garden.

It is really funny to me how everything has evolved its like it has all just came back to me. My Garden is where I find God!

Thank you that was so beautyful written, tears of joy are comming !
Gardens are peoples dreams and to go in the dream is when the inner Eden is and the outer is becomming one.

The love and passion that one puts in tne garden is tranfered back when we eat and enoy it !

Blessings

[Arrowwind]

Theres a great book out there on how to preserve food without canning freezing or drying. Its all about fermentation. I have it on special order and will be reading it soon.

[Dennis Leahy]

Many of my garden's plants are generally stunted compared to previous years. Don't know what I've done wrong. Over a dozen years experience should qualify me as an advanced-beginner gardener, I would think, but my garden looks like the work of a rank beginner this year. Very humbling. Oh, and the "cutworms" took half my pepper plants.

In an organic garden, sometimes the six-or-more legged creatures are TPTB.

10% might be about right. I was hoping for a much better yield. I will need to buy organic produce to dehydrate and can this season, and that is expensive and a bit depressing.

Dennis

[Bo Atkinson]

I'm getting great boosts in growth this year with my efforts into my new nitrogen digester-reactor tea experiment. A made up name emphasising the stretching of scarce manure, by adding lots of comfrey plants and other selective weeds. Using warm solar water each sunny day. Make more 'tea' and spread on raised growing beds.. The trickle through this arrangement alone is beneficial, i think... Time consuming, no doubt, but good exercise. Besides, creatives are always underemployed. I never boxed into 'normal' lifestyles anyway. No kids to put through college, etc... Plus it is a drill in case of bad scenarious. How will one eat well, if shipping networks are affected?

[Arrowwind]

I'm getting great boosts in growth this year with my efforts into my new nitrogen digester-reactor tea experiment. A made up name emphasising the stretching of scarce manure, by adding lots of comfrey plants and other selective weeds. Using warm solar water each sunny day. Make more 'tea' and spread on raised growing beds.. The trickle through this arrangement alone is beneficial, i think... Time consuming, no doubt, but good exercise. Besides, creatives are always underemployed. I never boxed into 'normal' lifestyles anyway. No kids to put through college, etc... Plus it is a drill in case of bad scenarious. How will one eat well, if shipping networks are affected?

you have a video on this or instructions? I ve known for a while that comfrey was good fertilizer and Ive got the plants.. but need to know how to apply it.

[UnrealDreams]

I started my garden last year. I have a limited area. I've got seedlings from last year's crops: carrots, tomatoes, sweet basil, parsley. And new plantings this year; brown and red onions, chili peppers, broccoli, thai basil and strawberries.

I don't have enough room to grow all of my food, so my strategy is to grow my herbs and those things I use a lot of, such as the carrots, onions and tomatos. Everything is done organically. No chemicals are used in the garden. Everything is recycled back into the garden via compost pile and mulching.

We have snails here. Everyone I asked told me to use a poison to kill them off. Of course I refused to do so. I believe that my garden belongs to nature. I am just here to help everything grow, and reap some of the benefits. I would guess that about 20-30% of the food in my garden is eaten by snails, and other bugs. Which is quite alright with me. Sharing with nature is most satisfying. I'm just lucky there are no deer here, although the kangaroos do eat my mother in laws roses, who lives up in the hills.

I went outside yesterday and saw that there was a new batch of snails that were just born. I had a spiritual moment outside looking at the baby snails eating my sweet basil plant. It felt good to know that I did the right thing. Nature knows what it is doing. The sweet basil will die at some point this winter, anyway. Probably on the coldest night. The snails also ate my marigolds, which were supposed to be beneficial to the garden. I just don't seem to mind. Oh yeah, and the sweet basil seedlings are taking off. All is well.

[Maria Stade]

I started my garden last year. I have a limited area. I've got seedlings from last year's crops: carrots, tomatoes, sweet basil, parsley. And new plantings this year; brown and red onions, chili peppers, broccoli, thai basil and strawberries.

I don't have enough room to grow all of my food, so my strategy is to grow my herbs and those things I use a lot of, such as the carrots, onions and tomatos. Everything is done organically. No chemicals are used in the garden. Everything is recycled back into the garden via compost pile and mulching.

We have snails here. Everyone I asked told me to use a poison to kill them off. Of course I refused to do so. I believe that my garden belongs to nature. I am just here to help everything grow, and reap some of the benefits. I would guess that about 20-30% of the food in my garden is eaten by snails, and other bugs. Which is quite alright with me. Sharing with nature is most satisfying. I'm just lucky there are no deer here, although the kangaroos do eat my mother in laws roses, who lives up in the hills.

I went outside yesterday and saw that there was a new batch of snails that were just born. I had a spiritual moment outside looking at the baby snails eating my sweet basil plant. It felt good to know that I did the right thing. Nature knows what it is doing. The sweet basil will die at some point this winter, anyway. Probably on the coldest night. The snails also ate my marigolds, which were supposed to be beneficial to the garden. I just don't seem to mind. Oh yeah, and the sweet basil seedlings are taking off. All is well.

Even snails have their natural enemy as all in nature have somthing to keep the balance.
Chickens love them as they are a good sorce as protein and calsium.
Another animal to keep is actually a snail it was keept by the monks and can today be found around ruins where there once was monks living.

This snail is BIG have a shell that is about 5 cm in diameter !
It seldom eat what we are growing but it dose eat the eggs of sluggs and other snails and by that keep down the population.

Here is pics https://www.google.se/search?q=vinbergs+sn%C3%A4cka&hl=sv&rlz=1C1SKPL_enSE424SE425&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=0aTyT6PDGrTP4QS3y-CBCg&ved=0CFkQsAQ&biw=1014&bih=429

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helix_pomatia

They are good to have in the garden and you can eat them they are seen as a delicate food ( I have not tryed)

I gather now and then snails (the ones I dont want in my garden) in a bucket and that was the meal for my chickens that day. They love ruhbarbs so Its a good place to find them so I actually like them to but they can be a big problem if they are to many.

All is well !

[Bo Atkinson]

I'm getting great boosts in growth this year with my efforts into my new nitrogen digester-reactor tea experiment. A made up name emphasising the stretching of scarce manure, by adding lots of comfrey plants and other selective weeds. Using warm solar water each sunny day. Make more 'tea' and spread on raised growing beds.. The trickle through this arrangement alone is beneficial, i think... Time consuming, no doubt, but good exercise. Besides, creatives are always underemployed. I never boxed into 'normal' lifestyles anyway. No kids to put through college, etc... Plus it is a drill in case of bad scenarious. How will one eat well, if shipping networks are affected?

you have a video on this or instructions? I ve known for a while that comfrey was good fertilizer and Ive got the plants.. but need to know how to apply it.



Thanks for encouragement to provide insights.... Here is my batcher, just now photoshopped with text labels. I hope it is clear. Please let me know of any questions, So that i can improve the webpage below. I like to keep adding my insights and methods to my pages.

http://harmoniouspalette.com/CompostBatcher.jpg

Compost batching is alchemical, IMO. I combine several key rules. I strive for maximum oxygen. First filling: At bottom of vat is placed lots of twigs, a little over a finger's-length-deep, when compressed. (Double that measure if loosely filled). Spread down flat. This will eventually let liquid drain down from mass above. Thus the mass above will draw in air with oxygen. We want this cycling of wet-steeped-drained-wet-steeped-drained tea action. Constant slowly flowing through rounded geometries (twigs). Drain at bottom will eventually slow down, if and when the compost gets mushy. It is OK to adjust for more watery consistency, the formulae below.

Above bottom twigs: Add an equal layer of soft leafy herbs or soft organic debris. Preferably selective weed-herbs had on hand. Focus on soft leafy portions. Burdock is another good, soft and leafy weed. Lawn mown material is good otherwise-- It can add good heat by itself, if if is freshly lush & green, (typical of rainy climates, early season, primarily). If none of these are available, then use what is there, close to hand. Alchemical style is progressive, from year to year, tune in, as one goes along. Try to forget excessive-compulsive sciences of plunder.

Next a layer of manure. Better are several kinds of manure, new, old wet, dry. 'Rich' kitchen wastes are good otherwise. Also spoiled foods good. Absolutely avoid any disinfecting cleansers or poisons. Sprinkle on some of your best available loam, (roots are fine here too). Same relative thickness. Next repeat layers of greens and manures, as might be had. Add these over time, as the pile will compress downwards, over time. It is better to start nearly full, so that heat can build initially.

Variance to above can help: Add to above mix, varieties of chosen wastes. There are multiple good reasons to choose particular wastes. There is only a fixed size of composting space. I will list a few. Any concerning plant disease, mold or mildew types should be quarantined from garden. I believe the best method is to use warmed composting and if concerning enough, to first singe with fire, then warm compst the remainder.

Dead creatures which might turn up are best burried or recyled with compost. Poisoned rats or mice are OK if the poison had been the common anti-freeze type (warfarin type). Otherwise, one could refer to toxicology texts, to insure that the substance is bio degradable. I happen to avoid pharma products of any kind.... Meat scraps, if had on hand are good, bone adds valuable bio-phosphorus-- This will reduce the attraction of stray dogs or predators. Or protect one's own dog from bones-too-sharp-to-swallow. Protect one's foul or other small creatures from scavenging animals.

Safer garden spaces help attract wonderful wild birds, who will manage garden pests and provide bird songs. Chirps allegedly help plants prosper too. Proof of this must be lived in, rather than simply memorized from texts. Last but not least: Reduce the toxic build up of modern landfills which amass the worst combinations of artificiality. (Land fills deprive the earth of healthful-harmonious-interactions.) Be the change earth needs.

Well aerated, warm composting reduces odors. I decided to use surplus solar heated water to water my compost tea. It fit my interests in keeping physically fit. While spending time in the garden. Doing this on sunny days all through the spring and early summer. Perrenial shrubs should not be tea-fed, late in season. So that these shrubs can prepare for winter.

Batching should start, no later than late winter, but with just a little shallow water only. Plug the drain. Ensure that water remains ion bottom. Winter composting breaks down collecting wastes. Typically not leafy wastes at that time of year, except from greenhouse. Nevertheless, approximately 50-50 mix of nitrogen bearing wastes like manure and carbon bearing wastes like organic matter, should be balanced. Barely moist conditions are best. A small fire of branch-debris can provide optimal compost enhancement. Occasional heatings only, can overcome frozen idleness, at this time of year. The self heating aspect can persist a surprising length of time, given nitrogen-rich wastes.

In time, i will add more pictures and diagrams here. (http://harmoniouspalette.com/AlchemicalCompostBatching.html)
http://harmoniouspalette.com/AlchemicalCompostBatching.html

Well aerated, warm composting reduces odors.


*Admittedly, finding a suitable vat is either expensive or it takes a lot of junk yard exploration. Sadly the tort-lawyers have closed down access to most junkyards nowadays. If not for this prized vat, i would just as happily build one in-situ, using ferrocement... (Or the latest cementitious-reinforcement to go with, is basalt-fiber-reinforcement....yet another subject.) The size does matter, in a sense: Rudolph Steiner taught from the old lore. That something a meter or 3 feet dimension promotes optimal self-heat-building, microbial colonization, etheric-elemental combinations. The chemist might differ, so be it.

My stainless vat was salvaged from a discontinued industry of some kind. Actually the demolition contractor had simply ripped it out of it's welded installation, using brute force of a fork lift. The bottom of this vat has some holes which need fixing. I'm going to empty it out this month or next. To re-weld them shut. I'll be adding more pictures of it all here. To improve this blog-article. My new workshop is well setup for this now. In earlier years my work areas have been messy progressions of patchworks, between varying contract jobs. life is getting better now.


PS- Arrowwind, I have appreciated your technical comments and links in the past. in a past post, there was discussion of D Winter's implosion plumbing. I just want to add to this discussion here: The plumbing-coupling-implorer seems to swirl water a little in the pipe. Fine... We actually want to condense or inwardly infuse oxygen. Perhaps comperable to carbonated beverages, but without he carbon. What we need in compost action is aeration. We may coincidentally note the following for the readers here: Aerobic bacteria are the humanly benign bacteria. While anaerobic bacteria include the pathogenetic types of bacteria. The aerobic types generally defeat or consume the anaerobic types. Perhaps, occasionally as a two-punch breakdown combination. You may have once in a post here, also noted the extreme benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. I much agree with that. All the more reason for me to evolve a oxygenating tea cycle described above. Just one more connection, in a world toxically challenged. With Thanks.

[Arrowwind]

Stainless steel vat? Hmmm..... I have a bunch of 55 gallon food grade barrels with lids, steel but not stainless steel. They are to be used as solar collectors of heat for our greenhouse. We will paint them black. They will be stacked two or three high and have direct sun contact on the north wall.. I suppose if stacked two high I could make a couple of top ones a compost tea maker and put spouts on them.

There is no reason or need to move these things around right?

Will typical airation bubblers used for fish tanks work well enough?

I've bookmarked your site. We wont be getting around to making the green house till probably next year and I think we would have to have them in there due to our long long subzero winters.

I added biochar to my garden this year. Made it myself. Its not hard to do at all. I wonder if adding a shovel of biochar to the mix would be helpful.. They say that the biochar is like lodging for micro-organisms and it would hold your culture there for a while even if you drained the tank.

Also, I am making kombuchi lately. That whole thing runs on sugar... the micro-organisms feed on sugar and you have a wonderful living culture in one week. I wonder if adding sugar would help... Been thinking about growing sugar beets next year. Im trying to move past all the fear mongering on sugar... and looking at it from a new perspective.

Do you grow burdock? I've tried to harvest wild burdock a couple of times... it is exhausting!

thanks wavydome.

[PurpleLama]

I have been using Azomite, as per Carmody's recommendation, and thus far things are great in my garden. I have given some to several other people to try in their own yards, and have received good reports as well.

http://www.azomite.com/

[Ammit]

I have been for a while now. At this moment I have cucumbers , lettuce, spring onions, radish and tomatoes,, leeks, cabbage, sweetcorn, peppers, onions ( red and white), garlic, broad beans, potatoes, courgettes, rhubarb and black berries.
Fresh eggs and chickens for meat (if I wish)

Next year I will plan things better....

[jaredkayy]

I am sad to say that most people i know, have no desire or intention to grow food. while most of my contemporaries are enlightened in regards to some social issues, very little have any knowledge regarding this topic. home grown veggies just taste so good though!

i do however see a growing number of natural food co-ops in my city. little by little.

[Bo Atkinson]

Stainless steel vat? Hmmm..... I have a bunch of 55 gallon food grade barrels with lids, steel but not stainless steel. They are to be used as solar collectors of heat for our greenhouse. We will paint them black. They will be stacked two or three high and have direct sun contact on the north wall.. I suppose if stacked two high I could make a couple of top ones a compost tea maker and put spouts on them.

I expect common, surplus food barrels are the easiest type to find. I'd connect them in series and add some black-plastic rolls, to collect more heat. Flanges can cost too much, but on the cheap, i'm having good luck with plain old mortar as a sealer. (for the Robinson Crusoe minded). Or garden-hose type fixtures are a slight upgrade, which a handyman's skill can manage. Usually hose connections are accepted by code minded officials.

[/QUOTE]There is no reason or need to move these things around right? [/QUOTE]

Agreed, just elevate them a little, for gravity feed.

[/QUOTE]Will typical airation bubblers used for fish tanks work well enough?[/QUOTE]

I've played with compressed air from my shop and not tried mini sized units, but these are probably handy and quick...

[/QUOTE]... We wont be getting around to making the green house till probably next year and I think we would have to have them in there due to our long long subzero winters.[/QUOTE]

One needs to clarify between fahrenheit and celsius.... a huge difference in the effects ;)
Up here at 44.4º lattitude, we can dip to sub zero fahrenheit (very hard ice).

"self heating greenhouse" ideas, (dare i say 'idealism')
http://harmoniouspalette.com/GreenHVAC/GreenHVAC.html

http://harmoniouspalette.com/EyelidGreenhouse/SelfHeatingGreenHouse.html

[/QUOTE]I added biochar to my garden this year. Made it myself. Its not hard to do at all. I wonder if adding a shovel of biochar to the mix would be helpful.. They say that the biochar is like lodging for micro-organisms and it would hold your culture there for a while even if you drained the tank. [/QUOTE]

I agree with that. It's can be easy to quench one's bomb-fire and collect the charcoal for this end. Though doing same in a wood-stove involves other hazzards.

[/QUOTE]... Been thinking about growing sugar beets next year. Im trying to move past all the fear mongering on sugar... and looking at it from a new perspective.[/QUOTE]

I have to restrain myself there as i'm somewhat of a recovering over-eater trying cut way back with great success. Stevia and other herbs are my goal for sweet tastes... Especially to double my life span, for the coming excitement of changing times... Reminding myself, how great it is to be here now. Despite all the fear and gloom. It is hard enough to self-implement advanced nutrition, in an environment of intentional-obsolescence ;)

[/QUOTE]Do you grow burdock? I've tried to harvest wild burdock a couple of times... it is exhausting! [/QUOTE]

Ha, burdock sows itself up here... I just prefer the soft leaves with greater surface area per weight, for quick composting... Slower composting is another thing i need to add.

[Bo Atkinson]

I have been using Azomite, as per Carmody's recommendation, and thus far things are great in my garden. I have given some to several other people to try in their own yards, and have received good reports as well.

http://www.azomite.com/


I think minerals are great...

I bought some excelertite which was recommended by James Horak.

I think he said there was a remarkable and large deposit of it in Nevada,
ready to use as dug up! Clay form used as a supplement? and bath treatment?

www.usnnm.com
http://us-rem.com/

[Arrowwind]

I have been using Azomite, as per Carmody's recommendation, and thus far things are great in my garden. I have given some to several other people to try in their own yards, and have received good reports as well.

http://www.azomite.com/


I think minerals are great...

I bought some excelertite which was recommended by James Horak.

I think he said there was a remarkable and large deposit of it in Nevada,
ready to use as dug up! Clay form used as a supplement? and bath treatment?

www.usnnm.com
http://us-rem.com/

I use azmonite also. And for a while I used paramagnetic minerals from the Yellowstone area but I cant seem to get them now. They have the highest paramagnetic levels of all products.

I also use a product called Nautral Guard, that is found in nursries around here. They actually make several products but the one I use is a micro rhizzome (if I recall correctly) that feeds micro life to the soil. These microbes break down the soil and make the minerals accessible.

I learned about this from a neighor who does not compost AT ALL!... and the soil around here is not that great. He grows corn on the same dang patch of ground year after year and gets a fantastic crop. He gives the soil NO extra nitrogen or anything, and we alll know just how much corn loves and needs nitrogen, he uses just the natural guard. I was quite impressed.

So this taught me that the minerals that you seek are already there. Its the micro-organisms that make them accessible... and this is why compost works well as it is jam packed with microbiotic life..... but I use all three, natual guard, azmonite, compost. .... as well as espoms salts and then sulphur for some plants like the raspberries and maple trees.

[Arrowwind]

One needs to clarify between fahrenheit and celsius.... a huge difference in the effects ;)
Up here at 44.4º lattitude, we can dip to sub zero fahrenheit (very hard ice).




[COLOR=darkorchid]... Been thinking about growing sugar beets next year. Im trying to move past all the fear mongering on sugar... and looking at it from a new perspective.

I have to restrain myself there as i'm somewhat of a recovering over-eater trying cut way back with great success. Stevia and other herbs are my goal for sweet tastes... Especially to double my life span, for the coming excitement of changing times... Reminding myself, how great it is to be here now. Despite all the fear and gloom. It is hard enough to self-implement advanced nutrition, in an environment of intentional-obsolescence ;)


Do you grow burdock? I've tried to harvest wild burdock a couple of times... it is exhausting!

Ha, burdock sows itself up here... I just prefer the soft leaves with greater surface area per weight, for quick composting... Slower composting is another thing i need to add.[/QUOTE]

Im saying this about sugar because its the pathway to making many different fermented foods, like Kombucha and natural sodas, as well as some types of food preservations. Sugar is also a good antibiotic for wounds. Its a crop that people spend a lot of money on and tha no one grows, no one I know anyway.

All things, but in moderation and in their proper place.

Its a zone 2b to 3 here. Sometimes they say it gets to be 30 F and 40 F below but I havent' experienced that yet. 25 is as low as Ive yet been in here.. only lived here 3 winters.

So how do you keep your compost tea project from freezeing in the winter? or do you give it up for that time of year?

Regarding Burdock... I was referring to the root. Do you not eat burdock root? Its very good for you.

[Mike Gorman]

That is one sweet homestead wavydome-myself and the good woman are planning to move to Tasmania next year-hope to create something
that is idiosyncratically suited to our 'ontogenesis'-as your place would appear to be for yours..admirable effort.